Jill smiled. It had been so like her kids, Martie, the go-getter, Ryan holding back until he saw a reason do to it. She missed them, her heart tugging at her. Ryan had become her go-to man in Scott’s perpetual absence. Ryan fixed the dishwasher when it broke, helped Jill design the new landscaping for the backyard, even took her to dinner for her last birthday when Scott was out of town getting a deposition.
Shaking the memories out her head, she looked at Coyle. “Well?”
“Well,” he said, “We’re going to ride a little ways to the stables. It’s faster, actually, than driving.” He jumped on his bike and started pedaling away from the house, down a narrow dirt road. “Come on!”
Jill pushed off on her bike. The front wheel wobbled a little, but after a few seconds, she got the hang of it and pedaled off behind him.
Coyle slowed so that she could catch up with him. They rode side-by-side in silence for a bit. Jill’s stomach growled loudly, loud enough for Coyle to hear. He laughed, gesturing for her to stop her bike. They rolled the bikes off the road and through some trees. Once around the trees, Jill saw they were right next to the lake. The morning sun glittered off the water, diamonds of light.
Coyle, too, had a small backpack on his back, which he now took off and opened. As Jill watched in silence, he pulled out a small thin blanket, which he laid out on the grass. Then he took out a Thermos and some things wrapped in dishcloths. He kneeled down on the blanket and motioned for her to do the same. He unwrapped the small bundle and revealed a variety of scones and soda bread. Next he pulled out some small jars of jam, the kind they offered in restaurants, and a small silver knife. Finally, out of the backpack, he produced two coffee cups.
“Breakfast is served,” he said, grinning at her.
“Nice,” she replied appreciatively. She was famished after her night of drinking.
While he poured coffee for them, she took a scone and slathered jam on it. She ate the first one quickly and noticed Coyle smirking at her. Okay, maybe not too ladylike, there, Jill, she thought to herself. She took another scone, this time eating it slowly, pulling off pieces and popping them into her mouth. Coyle took a scone and applied jam to it, eating it slowly and sipping his coffee.
“So, Miss Jill,” he said, giving her an appraising look. “What brings you to our fair island?”
“Surely you know,” she said in between bites. “Mary broke her leg and couldn’t come.”
“I know that’s how you got here, but I’d like to know why you came. You don’t know anyone other than Tara and Mary’s parents. Don’t you have a family at home?” he asked, pointedly looking at the wedding band on her hand.
“Oh,” she said. “That.” She shifted uncomfortably on the blanket.
“Yes, that.”
“I didn’t really have a reason not to come.”
“Children, husband?”
“My kids are both grown and don’t really need me much anymore,” she answered. “And my husband… Well, I guess I could say the same about him.”
Coyle didn’t say anything. He just raised his eyebrows.
Jill sighed. She didn’t really want to discuss this with anyone, let alone someone who was basically a total stranger to her. Yet, she did feel like it was time to talk about it to someone. She looked at Coyle. Why not? she asked herself. He seems like a nice enough guy – when he wants to be – and I probably won’t ever see him again after this weekend.
“My husband – Scott – is a high-powered attorney in Phoenix. He works all the time and he thinks that my job is to sit and wait around until he needs me to do something, like host a dinner party for him and his law firm partners.”
Coyle nodded, but remained silent.
“We married right after I graduated from college. I was still such a kid then; I gave up the things that I loved to do to be supportive of him while he was starting his law career. Then I gave up more to be home with my kids, which I really don’t regret, but sometimes I wish that things could have turned out more like what I had dreamed about as a kid.”
She stopped talking abruptly. That was a little more than she’d planned on saying.
“Dreams are funny things,” Coyle said. “The good thing is that dreams don’t really ever have to die. Do you still have those dreams?”
“Sort of. I started college wanting to act, you know, on the stage, maybe film. I was studying theatre at first, but changed to business. Now, I…” she trailed off.
“You what?”
“I just want to sing.” She laughed. “I’m not even sure what that means, but I do. I just want to sing.”
Coyle nodded again. “After hearing you last night, I agree. You should sing.”
“You heard?”
“Everyone heard. You have a beautiful, crystal voice. Very well suited to Irish ballads.” He grinned at her as she blushed.
“Um, thanks,” she murmured, stuffing another piece of scone in her mouth.
“So you’re in Ireland to chase your dream?”
“Not exactly. More to get away from my reality.”
Coyle glanced at his watch.
“Oh, we had better be going. They’ll give our horses away.” He began loading the leftovers and the thermos back in his backpack. They both got off the blanket and with each holding two corners, started folding it. As the folded blanket got smaller, Jill’s hands brushed Coyle’s. A tingle ran through her. Again she thought, yikes.
The stable was about a mile away. The bike ride had been easy, down a fairly flat road. Coyle disappeared into the stable and came out leading two horses. One was a big, dark chocolate brown gelding, while the other one was a rich reddish brown sorrel mare and a bit smaller than the other horse. Both were saddled with English riding saddles, which Jill had never used before. Coyle handed her the reins of the sorrel, then offered his hands for her to step into for a boost into the saddle. Mounting a horse with an English saddle was a bit different that with a Western saddle, mostly because there wasn’t a saddle horn to grab onto and pull up on. Jill put her left foot into the step created by Coyle’s hands and swung up on the horse. The horse stayed perfectly still.
Coyle easily mounted his horse. As he adjusted in his saddle, he appeared completely unaware of how the sun revealed gold highlights in his dark hair. But Jill wasn’t unaware. She tried not to look at him, but he was magnificent sitting up so high on that big healthy horse. Like a warrior. Like Braveheart. Jill laughed out loud at the thought.
Coyle looked around at her.
“What’s so funny?”
“Oh, nothing,” she grinned and gently kicked the sides of her horse to get her going, swiftly trotting away.
“Wait up!” Coyle called after her.
They rode through the woods, across the green meadows with knee-high grass and wildflowers blooming. Jill was aware of how romantic the whole scenario was, but was determined not to think about it. She didn’t know this man, only trusted him because he was family of Mary and Tara’s. And she was married. Well, at least legally. In her heart, everyday that passed found her feeling less and less married. She’d only been away from home for about five days, but it felt like months. In a good way, it felt like a very long time since she left home and Scott behind.
Coyle pulled his horse to a stop, Jill stopping along side him. He jumped off his horse, pulled the reins over the horse’s head and loosely draped them over a low tree branch. Then he came over to help Jill down. She’d been looking out over the green field where they’d stopped and hadn’t dismounted yet.
“Come on, then,” he said, holding out his hands for her.
“I can do it,” she said, hesitating.
“I know you can,” he said, but didn’t lower his hands.
They locked eyes for a few seconds, until Jill conceded and swung her leg over and leaned down into his arms. He lowered her gently to the ground, taking care not to touch her more than necessary. She laughed nervously and made sure to move away from him as soon as she could. Coyle didn
’t seem bothered as he sauntered after her.
“So, Jilly, what are you doing here?”
“Didn’t we already have this conversation?” Jill stopped walking and turned to look at him, tilting her head in confusion.
“You told me what you were doing in Ireland. Now I want to know what you’re doing here, with me,” he wandered on past her.
“You invited me,” she exclaimed, shaking her head now.
He nodded. “So if any of the men folk had invited you to ride along, out into countryside you were thoroughly unfamiliar with, you would have gone?”
“Well… no…” she stammered.
“Yet, here you are with me.” He walked around her as she stood still.
Jill wasn’t sure what was going on. Was he teasing her or was he coming on to her? And what did she hope he was doing?
“Yes… I’m here with you.”
“Why?”
Why indeed. For the adventure, right? That was it, right? Jill watched him as he turned by her and walked away. He was so good-looking, so kind sometimes, yet he held himself aloof. Sort of. Oh, jeez, I’m so confused, she thought.
“I guess it just sounded fun.”
“But why me?”
Jill closed her eyes and snorted out a soft chuckle.
“Tara told me you were her favorite cousin growing up. Said she worshiped you.”
“She did, did she?”
“Yes, and so I figured if you were worthy of that kind of reverence, even from a child, that you must have some enduring quality.”
“Enduring qualities. Qualities, plural,” he said.
Jill had to laugh at him. He was a truly confusing man. One moment cocky and sure and a bit rude, and the next kind and gentle and funny. Dangerous. That’s what he really was.
He stepped up to her and took her by the shoulders, looking down into her eyes. “There is something about you, Jilly, that is also quite enduring.”
They stood there for a minute, just looking at each other. Jill felt a tingle run up her spine and for a moment she thought he might kiss her. She was at the same time thrilled and terrified.
She closed her eyes, readying herself. But suddenly she felt Coyle move away. She opened her eyes to find him untying their horses from the tree.
“Come on, Jilly, we’re expected back soon. Mum has a lot of plans for us today.”
Jill shook herself from her reverie and with Coyle’s help, got back on her horse, waited for him to mount, then followed him back through the woods to the stables. They returned their horses and without much talk, rode the bicycles back to Muckross House.
She half expected him to walk her to her room, but he instead left her on the front step of the house. He said something about needing to run over to his mother’s house to help her, then went straight to his car in the parking lot, got in and drove off down the drive. Jill stood on the step watching his car as it disappeared in the distance.
Chapter 13
Jill met up with Tara for lunch, sitting out on a terrace eating a chicken salad, probably the best she’d ever had. It was funny; she’d always heard the food in Ireland was bland and awful. But everything she’d eaten so far had been wonderful.
Around three o’clock, Coyle had returned with his mother in tow. Bridy checked into the hotel, then met up with Jill and Tara. Jill needed to try on Mary’s bridesmaid dress. The dress was pale lavender with a tight bodice and three-quarter sleeves. Jill went into the bathroom while Tara and Bridy waited for her. There wasn’t a large mirror in the bathroom, just a high medicine cabinet, so she couldn’t really tell how the dress looked. She tried zipping it up in back, but couldn’t get it zipped up all the way.
“Could one of you help me?” she asked as she moved out of the bathroom into the bedroom. She twisted this way and that, trying to pull or push the zipper up. It was useless. She looked up at the other two women. They were looking at her with funny little smiles on their faces.
“Oh, no, is it that bad?” Jill asked anxiously, pulling the dress this way and that. The top seemed snug to her and she was overly aware of her usually hidden cleavage.
“Jilly,” Tara held her hands out, palms up. “You are a vision!”
“Dear, the dress is perfect for you, just perfect,” Bridy added.
Jill stopped adjusting the dress and looked up.
“You’re kidding, right?
Tara leapt up and took Jill’s hand, holding it out as if they were dancing.
“Not kidding at all – you look unbelievable!” Tara led her over to the full-length mirror that was tucked into a corner and turned her around to face it. “See?”
Tara was right. The dress looked like it was made for her. The lavender looked luminous next to her skin. The bodice fit perfectly, lifting her breasts up and out ever so slightly. The full skirt hit just below her knee.
“Mary will be so glad,” Bridy was beaming at her. She came over to Jill and started prodding and pulling on the dress here and there. “Not a thing to do here.”
Jill twirled around and the dress twirled along with her. She felt like she was starring in a musical and that Fred Astaire would be walking in at any moment to whisk her around the room. Snatching a hand of each of the women, she spun them around the room with her. They danced and laughed until they were spent, then sprawled onto the big bed. Jill only lay there for a minute, not wanting to muss her dress. She went and changed out of the dress and into a skirt and sweater for the rehearsal dinner. Tara and Bridy were leaving as she came out of the bathroom.
“We’ll see you in a little bit,” Tara called back to her from the door. “The rehearsal is outside at five. We’re meeting in the lobby a few minutes before.”
It was only four, so Jill found she had some time to kill. She wanted to call her kids, but she knew they’d still be asleep in Arizona. Wandering around her room, she ended up at the window with the great view of the Killarney Lakes.
It was beautiful here, with everything a shade of green, the flowers blooming everywhere in sight. Even the weather was cooperating for the wedding; it was warm, with only a slight breeze. Jill wondered how cold it got in the winters. Probably a lot colder than in Phoenix, she thought, chuckling. She’d spent winters in Colorado, though, and in Northern Arizona, so it wasn’t like she’d never lived through a cold winter. And from what she heard, the winter weather here was more like Seattle than Minneapolis or New York. It was cold and it snowed every once in a while, but it rarely stuck. Mostly it rained and blew an icy wind. She wondered if she could make it through a winter here.
Why was she even thinking such a thing? She turned from the window and reclined on the bed, barefoot and leaning up against the stack of feather pillows gracing the bed. What a wonderful few days it had been. First experiencing Dublin with James (and experiencing James!) and then hanging out with Tara, and now this place and this family, and, well, Coyle. She shook her head and closed her eyes. For over twenty years she’d been more or less happily married to Scott. She’d looked at other men, certainly, but would have never thought about them the way she thought about James or Coyle.
Yet, here she was, daydreaming like a teenager about boys. She thought about the two men, comparing them. James was more refined and probably more educated, although she really didn’t know much about Coyle. James was gentle and friendly and felt like a good friend, not threatening in the least. Coyle, on the other hand, was imposing because of his size and stature. He was friendly, too, but guarded and Jill felt a certain amount of danger resonating from him. Okay, maybe danger was a bit exaggerated, but he didn’t feel like a “good friend.” There was definitely some chemistry between them. Maybe… Jill laid her head back to think about these two men, who went around and around like riders on a carousel in her mind. With a smile on her face, she drifted into a light sleep.
A knocking at her door woke her. Startled, she glanced at the alarm clock – five after five. She jumped up and quickly slid her shoes on and grabbed her sweater, then
flung the door open expecting to find Tara waiting impatiently for her. She was surprised to find Coyle standing there, a smirk on his face.
“Come on, Jilly, we’re all waiting for you,” he said, turning to let her by.
“I’m sorry, I laid down on the bed for a minute and must have crashed.”
He shut the door behind her and followed her down the hall, chuckling lightly. “Not to worry, Teagan hasn’t come down either. Tara went to get her.”
When they arrived together out by the gazebo by the water, Teagan had been retrieved and was standing next to her groom. They were chatting with some other younger people that Jill didn’t know. She quickly found Tara and went to stand by her. Coyle wandered over to stand by his dad. Jill watched him and decided maybe she ought to stay as far from him as possible. He was a potential problem, even though, or maybe because, she couldn’t stop thinking about him.
“Oh, dear, where is the pastor?” Bridy worried out loud. “That’s all we’re waiting for now.”
The pastor arrived and the rehearsal began in earnest. Bridy took full control at that point.
“Now, I want all the bridesmaids and groomsmen lined up in your pairs,” she said, directing the pretty young women and handsome young me into their places.
“Excuse me Missus Noonan,” said one of the bridesmaids in a thick Irish brogue. Jill wasn’t sure, but it looked like Teagan had at least six bridesmaids. “I’m not so sure who I’m to be with.”
Bridy gave Teagan a look, but carried on.
“Fine, fine. Sarah, you’re with Jimmy. Trish, you’re with Bill. Tara, you’ll be walking with Seamus, and Colleen, you’re with Michael. Oh, and Jill, you’ll be walking with Coyle,” Bridy read off the clipboard she wielded like a sergeant.
Jill’s heart jumped. No one had told her Coyle was in the wedding. Well, of course he would be; he was Teagan’s older brother. So much for staying away from him.
The Replacement Bridesmaid Page 9